Your inventor, Peter H. Kelley, hereby respectfully submits this, his non-provisional application for Letters Patent as respects his invention entitled xe2x80x9cSimultaneous Toasting Devicexe2x80x9d.
1. Field of the Invention
The instant invention relates to that field of devices consisting of articles of manufacture known as toasting devices. Specifically, the instant invention is a toasting device for permitting multiple people to offer and engage in a simultaneously executed toast.
2. Background Information
The prior art known to the Inventor discloses that offering and engaging in a toast amongst multiple participants has changed little if at all since toasts over drinks were first incorporated into social gatherings.
A xe2x80x9ctoastxe2x80x9d is traditionally the common name for the offering of well wishes. In the typical toasting situation, a group of people will be gathered in reasonably close proximity, and will be desirous of bringing together various liquid refreshment containers at nearly the same time in accompaniment with the offering of a sentiment, well wishes, or nugget of wisdom directed toward someone or something.
For example, consider a group of people gathered together and seated around a large, generally rectangular table. At some point during the gathering, an individual might be desirous of wishing a xe2x80x9chappy and healthy lifexe2x80x9d to the host, hostess, or even to all those in attendance.
Normally, the person offering the toast will rise to a standing position, and lift his or her glass upwardly as a signal that a toast is being offered (this is frequently accompanied by a tapping or rapping upon the glass with a nearby eating utensil to produce a xe2x80x9cchimingxe2x80x9d sound to further alert those gathered that a toast is about to be offered).
The other gatherers may at that point rise as well, or just as likely remain seated. Traditionally, the person offering the toast then addresses the group and verbally offers the words embodying that toast. At the conclusion of the oration, the participants then attempt to bring their beverage containers together simultaneously to produce a distinct and auditorially pleasant xe2x80x9cchimingxe2x80x9d sound. Naturally, the precise sound made by the bringing together of the beverage containers depends in large measure upon the material from which those beverage containers are made. The traditionally preferred beverage container has been the xe2x80x9cglassxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9ccrystal gobletxe2x80x9d, both of which produce an enjoyable and nearly bell-like ring when lightly rapped or touched against one another at the conclusion of the toast.
It is further well known that when engaged in an inherently social event such as toasting, there are certain difficulties associated with the physical placement of the various individuals who are to participate in the toast. For example, when seated about a fairly large rectangular table (one having a width of approximately 3 feet or more and a length of approximately 6 feet or more), it has always been highly desirable to be seated in close proximity to the host, hostess or any guest of honor to whom a toast may be offered. This is due in part to the fact that at the conclusion of the offering of the toast, those most proximate to the aforementioned persons will be immediately able to bring their beverage container into direct contact with that person""s. Those in close proximity to the most prominent guests enjoy a distinct social advantage of being able to xe2x80x9cchimexe2x80x9d their glasses directly with the prominent individual immediately at the close of the toast.
And while this may not be of great import in the most ordinary dining or social gathering circumstances, it can be of incredible importance where interpersonal relationships are first being created, business relationships are being solidified, or familial relationships are being affirmed.
It is further well known that at important social gatherings, where toasts are expected to be offered, it is usually necessary to get up out of the chair in which one has been seated prior to the offering of the toast in order to bring one""s beverage container into direct contact with other xe2x80x9ctoastersxe2x80x9d who are inconveniently located at a distance which prevents the bringing together of those beverage containers. For example, if one is seated 5 or 6 feet away from the hostess, it is simply impossible to bring one""s glass into immediate contact with the hostess"" glass without getting up out of one""s chair, and walking over to where the hostess is seated. More often than not, other persons seated at a distance from the hostess will be arising and moving toward the hostess as well, producing a discomforting and somewhat crass xe2x80x9crushxe2x80x9d toward said hostess.
A further problem associated with offering and engaging in toasting is that the highly desirable xe2x80x9csimultaneityxe2x80x9d of the event is typically lost when one must arise and travel about the table in order to bring one""s glass into direct contact with another""s. Though bearing with it no exceptional social stigma, these later in time meeting of glasses are often nowhere near as fulfilling to the participants as are the simultaneous ones.
And while it may be possible to remain seated and still reach across a table to touch glasses with those located at some distance, such a maneuver not only ruins the socially desirable simultaneity, but also brings with it the gravely embarrassing possibility of brushing one""s clothing against or through food stuffs which may still occupy the table. Certainly it is important to have the opportunity to reach across the table and xe2x80x9cringxe2x80x9d one""s glass against that of the host, but when that opportunity entails a sizable chance of dipping one""s sleeve in the gravy boat, (and spending the night trying to hide an oily stain), most will be daunted by the task and settle for simply xe2x80x9cliftingxe2x80x9d their glasses.
The instant invention is toasting device which may be placed upon a convenient, generally horizontal surface and permit the accomplishment of a simultaneous toast by a plurality of persons.
Unlike the more traditional method of toasting which required the participants to attempt to bring their individual glasses into contact with one another, the instant invention allows them to simultaneously touch their individual glasses to the xe2x80x9csounding elementxe2x80x9d, and in so doing produce a delightful ringing sound through both the sounding element and their glasses.
The instant invention, for the first time, permits those gathered around a table to simultaneously engage in a toast which will produce a tone which is both pleasing to the ear, and at the same time satisfies the socially desirable need to xe2x80x9ctouch glassesxe2x80x9d.
A first object of the instant invention, therefore, is to provide for a means by which xe2x80x9ctoastersxe2x80x9d may in effect, simultaneously touch glasses.
This objective is accomplished by fabricating a vertical support member having depending therefrom an essentially horizontally disposed sounding element against which each toaster may touch his or her glass to at the same moment, thus, by proxy, simultaneously touching one another""s glass to complete the toast.
A second object of the invention is to provide a device which enables various persons who are not located directly proximate to one another to effectively simultaneously create the desired xe2x80x9cchimingxe2x80x9d sound with one another.
This objective is accomplished by having a sounding element of sufficient dimensions such that it is easily within reach of all the toasting participants, and which sounding element itself is engineered to produce a pleasing chiming sound when touched by the various toaster""s glasses.
A third object of the invention is to provide a device which eliminates the need for certain toasters to leave their places at a table following a toast to contact their glass with the glass of other toasters.
This objective is accomplished by designing a sounding element having sufficient dimensions such that it is within easy reach of all the toast participants at the table.
A fourth object of the invention is to virtually eliminate the possibility of dragging one""s sleeve through food stuffs located on a table when engaging in a toast while still sitting at the table.
This objective is accomplished through the use of a sounding element suspended from a vertical support member which locates the sounding element sufficiently above the table such that when touching one""s glass to the sounding element, there is little to no chance that one""s clothing will come in contact with said food stuffs.
A fifth object of the instant invention is to provide for a device to simultaneously execute a toast which may be easily stored when not in use.
This objective is accomplished by fabricating a sounding element which is removably suspended from one or more vertical support members. The vertical support members may be decoratively or even functionally designed to remain in place on a table before or after a toast, while the sounding element and its suspension means are conveniently stored away in a closet or other storage area.
A sixth object of the instant invention is to provide a device for simultaneous toasting which may be configured for different occasions to produce different tones when in use.
This objective is accomplished by incorporating a sounding element which is preferably a hollow tube, the type of material used in constructing same and thickness of the tube wall largely dictating the pitch and resonance of the sound produced when struck by a toaster""s glass. By having on hand a variety of differently dimensioned and or compositioned sounding elements, the user may choose in advance the sound which is desired, according to mood or whim.
A seventh object of the instant invention is to provide for a simultaneous toasting device which is useful even when toasters are not seated around a table, for example, when attending a ball or other large attendance social event where one is frequently standing.
This objective is accomplished by fabricating one or more vertical support members having dimensions such that a sounding element suspended from said support member will be at an appropriate elevation for those standing about the device to bring their glasses into contact with the sounding element without undue upward or downward reaching.